Perry won his race for Texas agriculture commissioner in 1990 over incumbent Jim Hightower largely on the issue of Hightower aides soliciting campaign contributions from peanut farmers whose product they rated for market.

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s campaign capitalized on this latest development in a new Web video.

Meanwhile, Perry’s campaign continued to hammer Hutchison over her vote last year for a federal bailout of the nation’s financial industry. Perry had urged a vote on a bailout bill, but later in the day opposed the one Hutchison voted for.

Last but not least, we have noted the tift over Citizens Against Government Waste naming Hutchison as their porker of the month because of her support of budget earmarks. Hutchison fired back at Perry criticisms over the dubious award by saying his administration had sought some of those earmarks.

But the same group is praising Hutchison for climate change legislation she introduced with U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, R-Missouri